Hi, my cockatoo (umbrella) named snowy who I have for about a year, is in need of a new home, she seems to be bored, any time I let her out of her cage within minutes of me leaving she is on the floor chewing up furniture and walls, I cant take this any more, she spends all of her life in the cage unless I have time to take her out and watch her. so I know this is no life for her so I am offering her up for adoption, she is a little skittish but friendly, she never bit anyone, she does not speak and she is very quiet until bedtime then she squawks for about 10 minutes, she must have been a plucker at one time or maybe a harness has given her some bald spots under her wings and legs, but she has not plucked at all since I have her so I dont know. She is probably in her 20's, the woman I adopted her from says she was about 15 but I think she may be older. I am asking for a small adoption fee and I live in westchester new york. you can e-mail me or call my cell if interested or know of any sanctuaries that can help me. thanks Dino

oh what a shame. Im sure you will be chatting with someone here shortly so please continue to check back.

I met Dino today at the pet store. I know how bad they feel about this and I'm glad he took my advise and posted here.

I hope there is someone who can help you and/or point you in the right direction.

When you get a chance, Introduce yourself and your other birdies!!

Thanks, for the welcome, my senagal is named peaches, he is a charm and a lover, my yellow naped is chico, he is a comic and a rock star, I think these two guys are very happy birds but my too needs special attention, so thanks for any help you guys have to offer, Dino

Welcome to parrotchatter

Hi Dino, Welcome to Parrot Chatter. I'm glad you met Josh and he pointed you to ParrotChatter to get some help.

I hope we can talk about Snowy with you to see if we can come up with some ideas that will work for her, so she can spend time playing outside her cage. I commend you that you are aware that she needs enrichment in her everyday life and isn't getting enough.

You've probably hit the nail on the head when you say she's bored and goes looking for entertainment. What kind of play stand do you have for her? Have you tried a hanging play gym? A hanging play gym may give you a fighting chance of getting her to stay put while you teach her how to play and entertain herself with toys and not furniture.

You may enjoy taking a look at some of Wayne's hanging Bottlebrush gyms and reading his articles. I highly recommend them. They are all he says they are!

LINK: Waynesparrotstuff.com. Change your parrots life TODAY with Bottlebrush!

You may be able to set up the best entertainment center imaginable that she wouldn't dream of leaving because there's so many interesting things for her to do on it and look for everyday.

Foraging toys will keep her busy and excited while she's looking for food and nuts? I have often read that Toos love a challenge. Mechanical toys that they can take apart are probably a must for these birds.

I'm sure others members will be along shortly that may also have some other ideas that may be a help for Snowy. Kimba who owns a Vasa named Eve has an awesome entertainment play area set up for him. I'll see if I can find the pictures of it for you.

Welcome to Parrotchatter, Dino!
I hope you get the help you need for your 'Too.

I understand your frustration, but I hope that you will consider the things that FeathersNfur has suggested. The biggest issue facing most parrot owners is destruction as a result of boredom. For my vasa, Eve this can be an issue at times, although he has never destroyed the house, he has taken apart two cages and one play stand out of boredom. I honestly don't know how he didn't kill him self with the cage falling to pieces. It is GREAT that your Too does not have a screaming habit, in fact it is refreshing to hear! And it tells me that she can be worked with on the boredom, since she has not resorted to screaming from the lack of environmental stimulus. Some other things you could try are to bath her as soon as you let her out, I doubt she's gonna go floor surfing if she has just had a bath and is soaked. Also big baskets with foot toys are much better for destroying than the walls and molding! And this can either hang from a stand or on the floor if she is still floor surfing. I know a pair of Too's that love old phone books to shred, they would go to town shredding these phone book that were placed in a big cardboard box. If you do decide to give it a shot, the more exciting a play area to more they will stay put.

I just want to welcome you to parrotchatter. You couldn't ask for a better bunch of well informed people. I hope that you can work out your problems with snowy and perhaps reconcider adopting her out. If that's not the case, I hope you can find her a good home.

I'd love to see pictures of your fid..

Kimba...I love that play gym thingy you made. I bet your bird has a blast playing on there...Good show!